Foldable grate.



PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

. c. A. LARSON.

- FDLDABLE GRATE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 21, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

aflf arsom UNTTED STATES CARL AUGUST LARSON, OF WEST SUPERIOR, WVISCONSIN.

FOLDABLE G RATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of'Let'ters Patent No. 718,714, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed October 21, 1902. Serial No. 128,154. (No model.)

T or whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, CARL AUGUST LARSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Superior,in the county of Douglas and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Foldable Grate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices employed more particularly by hunters, campers, tourists, and the like for assisting in supporting food while being cooked out of doors, and has for its object the production of a collapsible or foldable grating or support for the food, underneath which the fire is to be placed; and one object of the invention is to produce a simply-constructed light framework adapted to be folded into a small space when not in use or when being transported and .extensible when required for use; and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device extended. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device collapsed or folded together. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the intermediate grate-bars disconnected. Fig. 4 is a transverse section illustrating the construction and means of attaching the foldable legs.

The improved device consists in two or more rectangular frames longitudinally ex-.

tensible and foldable transversely and provided with foldable supporting-legs, so that the device may be extended when required for use or folded into a small compass when it is to be transported or when not in use. The improved device also comprises a plurality of detachable and extensible intermediate grate-bars, whereby the spaces between the bars may be reduced in width to accommodate certain kinds of material to be cooked.

The improved device consists in frame members formed of substantially L-shaped bars having comparatively long leg members 10 and shorter leg members 11, and as the L- shaped members are substantially the same like designating characters are employed for corresponding parts in each. The shorter leg members 11, which compose the end members of the grating and the end members of the connected rectangular frames, are

united by hinged joints 12, as shown, so that the members 11, together with their side members 10, may be folded together, as shown in Fig. 2, when not in use or when the device is to be transported. The hinges 12 will be located with the pintles in substantial alinement with the lower edges of the members 11, so that when the frames are distended, as in Fig. 1,'the adjacent ends of the upper portions of the members 11 will engage and effectually prevent the deflection of the parts, as will be obvious, so that when distended the connected frames will not move below the horizontal plane. The free ends of the side members 10 will be provided with reversely disposed overlapping clips 13, the clip of one of the members overlapping and engaging the opposite member, thereby forming slides by which the side members 10 may be readily distended, as in Fig. 1, or collapsed, as in Fig. 2.

The opposite end members 11 will be com nected adjacent to the hinges 12 by bars 14 15, similar to the members 10 and provided with transversely-disposed clips 16 17, similar to the clips 13 and adapted to interlock the opposite members 14 15, as indicated, the clips 16 17 thus conforming to and coacting with the clips 13 and enabling the frame to be collapsed, as in Fig. 2.

The end members 11, side members 10, and the connecting-bars 14 15, together with their clips 13 16 17, form the rectangular extensible frames above referred to and when connected by the hinges 12 may be extended, as in Fig.

Fig. 1, these members thus forming a plu-- rality of spaced grate-bars which will support the food to be cooked or the cooking utensils above the fire, which will be built underneath the grate.

The dilferent members of the device may be constructed of any sized material and spaced any desired distance apart, so that a grating of any required size may be constructed; butgenerally the device will be so constructed that when collapsed, as in Fig. 2, it may be carried in an ordinary valise together with other goods or in a basket, or under some circumstances in the overcoatpocket. I do not, however, wish to be li1nited in any manner to any specific size of the structure, as it may be varied as circumstances may require.

The parts will preferably be of sheet metal as light as will be consistent with the strains to which they will be subjected.

To provide for the support of smaller articles of food or smaller cooking utensils, intermediate grate-bars are provided to be inserted between the bars 10 and 14 15, these intermediate bars consisting of sections 20 21, similar to the members 14 15 and provided with reversely-disposed clips 22 23, operating in the same manner as the clips 13 and 16 17. The end members 11 will be provided with cavities 2% at suitable intervals to receive and support lugs 25 26, extending from the outer ends of the members 20 21, as shown, by which means the intermediate grate-bars will be firmly supported upon the structure, while at the same time readily detachable therefrom. Any number of these intermediate grate-bars may be employed, and they may be inserted at as frequent intervals as required; but generally one between each pair of the longitudinal bars will be sufiicient, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The leg members 18 will be disposed to stand at an outward incline, as indicated in Fig. 1, to afford the proper bracing-supports to the grating and to prevent it from collapsing, as will be obvious.

Upon the pivots 19 between the leg members and the members 10 will be inserted spacing-washers 27, adapted to hold the leg members a sufficient distance away from the side members 10 to enable the leg members to fold past each other and also to fold past any projecting portions with which they would otherwise come into contact, as indicated in Fig. 2.

This forms a very complete, simply-coustructed, and easily-operated device which may be very quickly and easily distended when required for use and as readily collapsed when not required. The device may be constructed small enough to go into an ordinary overcoat-pocket and at the same time when extended will be large enough to support the cooking utensils of a comparatively large hunting party.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l. A portable heating and cooking grating consisting of two or more frames longitudinally extensible and foldable transversely, substantially as described.

2. A portable heating and cooking grating, consisting of two or more frames longitudinally extensible and foldable transversely and having intermediate grate-bars detachably connected therewith and extensible longitudinally relative to said frame, substantially as described.

3. A portable heating and cooking grating consisting of two or more frames longitudinally extensible and foldable transversely, and leg members movably connected to said frames and foldable therewith, substantially as described.

4. A portable heating and cooking grating consisting of two or more rectangular frames movably connected by their end members and with the side members adapted to be extended longitudinally, substantially as described.

5. A portable heating and cooking grating consisting of two or more rectangular frames movably connected by their end members and with the side members adapted to be extended longitudinally, and leg members movably conuected to said frames and foldable therewith, substantially as described.

6. A portable heating and cooking grating consisting of two or more rectangular frames movably connected by their end members and with the side members adapted to be extended longitudinally, and intermediate gratebars det-achably engaging said end members and extensible longitudinally relative to said frame, substantially as described.

7. In a portable heating and cooking grating, two or more rectangular frames movably connected by their end members and with their side members overlapping and each provided with reversely-disposed clips engaging the opposite members, whereby said side members may be longitudinally disposed or extended and the frames foldably disposed, substantially as described.

S. In a portable heating and cooking grating, two or more rectangular frames formed of reversely-disposed L-bars movably connected by their shorter legs and overlapping by their longer legs, the free ends of the longer legs having reversely-disposed clips alternately engaging the opposite longer leg, whereby said frames are longitudinally distensible or extensible and foldable transversely, substantially as described.

9. In a portable heating and cooking grating, rectangular frames formed of reverselydisposed L-bars movably connected by their shorter legs and with their longer legs overlapping and provided with reversely-disposed coupling-clips,and leg members movably connected to said L-bars and foldable therewith, substantially as described.

10. In a portable heating and cooking grating, rectangular frames formed of reverselydisposed L-bars movably connected by their with interlocking clips, and the shorter leg members connected by hinged joints, whereby said frames are extensible longitudinally V and foldable transversely,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL AUGUST LARSON.

Witnesses:

H. I. RUSSELL, F. J. KENYON. 

